JUSTICE WILL TRIUMPH
Opening Prayer
Thank you, Almighty God—you hold the world in your hands and nothing is beyond your reach. I long to be an instrument of your healing and peace.
Read PSALM 58
Psalm 58[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b]
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed the tune of the charmer,
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,
like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[c]
10 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
- Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
On this day of reorientation (‘the Lord’s day’, the day of resurrection), take some moments to review the past week and ask God to reset your compass as you spend time with him.When we look at our broken world, it’s easy for us to lose hope, or for our hearts to become embittered (Psalm 73:2,3). This may particularly be so if you live in a country where the rule of law has broken down, and corruption is rife.
The psalmist describes a society like that (vs 1-5), but he does not fall into despair. Injustice is the fuel he needs for fervent prayer, crying out to God to intervene (vs 6-8). This psalm does express anger, but the prevailing tone is one of confidence in God’s justice: evil will be punished, people guilty of abusing power will be held account- able, righteousness will be rewarded (vs 9-11).
The great Christian leader John Stott used to talk about ‘double listening,’ with the Bible in one hand and today’s newspaper in the other. Some of us listen only to our broken world and we are left with anxiety; some of us tend to listen to the Bible but ignore the world and become irrelevant to it. The psalmist’s double listening enables him to address unjust rulers with prophetic courage (vs 1,2), God with honesty and faith (vs 6-8) and the faithful with hope (v 11).
Apply
How do you balance ‘double listening’ day to day? Do you need to make adjustments?
Closing prayer
Father, the world’s happenings can overwhelm me. Help me to apply your Word and have your perspective each day.
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